An Account of ANTIENT COINS, found at BALLYLINAM in the QUEEN's COUNTY, IRELAND; with Conjectures thereon. In a Letter to JOSEPH COOPER WALKER, M. R. I. A. and Honorary Member of the Etrufcan Academy of Cortona. From WILLIAM BEAUFORD, A. M. Soc. Antiq. Scot. ATHY, FEBRUARY 16, 1787. SIR, 19, 1787. IN N June, 1786, fome peasants dug up in a field in the Read Feb. Queen's County, near Ballylinam (about four miles from Athy) an earthen urn, containing a great number of small filver coins, which they immediately diftributed among themselves, and fold to different people. Several of these coins were purchased by the Rev. Mr. Afhe of this town, and by him prefented to the Museum of Trinity College, Dublin; they were afterwards fubmitted to the inspection of the Royal Irish Academy. As these coins fhew evident marks of high antiquity, and in feveral particulars differ from those discovered in Britain and on the continent, I have endeavoured to explain twelve of them, (S2) and and must request you will do me the honor to lay my effay before the Academy, for their infpection. THERE is perhaps no part of antiquities which throws greater light on the hiftory of a country than the coins and medals of different periods, when properly illuftrated; as thereby feveral articles relative to the manners and cuftoms of former times receive an illuftration, which probably otherwife would be buried in eternal oblivion. To whom mankind are indebted for so useful a discovery as coins in the transactions of civil life, is not only unneceffary, but at this period impoffible to ascertain. COMMERCE, as it was the principal means of drawing the human race from a vagrant and unfettled life, and thereby conftituting civil fociety, gave rife, undoubtedly, to the invention of money, as a convenient medium, in order to render the tranfactions between individuals much more eafy and expeditious than otherwise could be effected by the exchange of one commodity for another. MAN, leading a favage and unfettled life, subsisting on the precarious acquirements of the chace, and the fpontaneous productions of the earth, has little regard to any other property than a fcanty subsistence from day to day; he has therefore no occafion for an article which, in every department of civil fociety, has become fo beneficial and yet so destructive to mankind. But no fooner are the arts of civil life introduced, and private property in fome measure established, than he finds himself surrounded by a thousand wants to which before he was an utter ftranger: Habitations, clothes, clothes, and numerous leffer important articles, become neceffary appendages to his exiftence. To obtain thefe, recourse must be had to the labours and inventions of his neighbours, whence rise the several fpecies of commerce, and the use of a standard commodity, which might ferve as an univerfal medium for every article of domestic and focial utility. Accordingly we find, from the remoteft antiquity, all nations, which had in any degree emerged from a ftate of barbarifm, ufing fome fubftance or other as a standard article of commerce. Polished bits of wood, shells, beads, rings and bars of iron, appear to have been the first attempts in this way. Thefe, on the advancement of civilization, and the improvement of arts, gave place to pieces of brass, filver or gold, of different forms and dimenfions, and which in fubfequent ages became ornamented with various devices and legends, according to the learning and genius of the several nations amongst whom they originated. THE various Celtic tribes, who in the early ages inhabited the western wilds of ancient Europe, being in a great measure deftitute of commerce, were most probably ignorant of money before the introduction of agriculture and the different branches of trade, by foreign merchants on their fouthern and western coafts. THE Phoenician and Carthaginian merchants were probably the first adventurers who reached the British ifles; but of the improvements they introduced, and the fpecies of commerce they cultivated with the then barbarous natives, except in that of tin, we are entirely ignorant: No coins, or other monuments |